The Division of Power
by Tremalkinger
Summary: Things start to heat up as the opposing forces within the Thought Data Integration Entity, the time travelers, and Koizumi's Organization all begin to move to force a reaction out of Suzumiya Haruhi, even if it ends the world. KyonHaruhi


Author's Note: Set between novels eight and nine, in the spring of their first year.

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You know that feeling when you're awake in the middle of the night, but really wish you weren't? Something is always wrong, and you can try to ignore it, but it never works. In the end, you'll always eventually get up to get that glass of water for your parched throat, or whatever it is. What's the use in fighting against it? No matter how much you want to continue sleeping, its never worth it. Tonight, it was the sound of cars driving by my window. I could hear them clearly, so I must have left it open and forgotten to close it. I groaned unhappily, trying to shut out the noise, but it wouldn't go away. Cracking my eyes open, I decided to fix it quickly and return to sleep.

A wave of nausea passed over me as I sat up, and I held my stomach, waiting for it to pass. Then I blinked. I... definitely was not in my room. What the hell? What was going on? A cool breeze played against my face as I tried to orient myself. Street lamps gave off intermittent pools of light in the otherwise darkened world, and trees lined the path, outlined by the harsh florescent light. I swung my feet down onto the pavement, sitting up against the bench I had been laying on. This was the bench that Yuki had invited me to with a bookmark, the bench that I had come to with Asahina-san (big and small) during Tanabata nearly four years ago.

I tried to pull my memories together, to come up with some reason why I was here, but nothing sprung to mind. All I could remember from last night was hours of homework and then collapsing into bed. How had I ended up here? I could rule out sleepwalking, since I was more than two miles from my house. Even the most talented sleepwalker couldn't get that far, right? Maybe someone had brought me here.

I stood and began to pace as I thought. I was wearing casual clothes instead of the pajamas I had gone to sleep with. That was thankful enough, since a boy miles from home in his pee-jays would be just too embarrassing to deal with. It was also hot... too hot. I tugged at my collar uncomfortably, the mugginess bothering me. It was too early in the year for it to be this hot at night. Which could only mean...

It was Tanabata three years ago. Again. Of course, I had no proof of that, but the nausea when I woke up felt very similar to that of time travel, and plus another visit to that Tanabata was probably just the sort of thing that would end up happening to me. I was so very sick of this night. But if nothing else, past experience had taught me that Fate had very little interest in my preferences. Would it be that big of a deal if I went back in time to do something actually fun at some point? Like maybe an adventure to save a medieval princess, or something like that. But it's always about Haruhi.

There was a popping sound behind me, not all that loud, but enough to get my attention. I turned, and the sight gave me a sudden lurching feeling in my stomach, like a passenger in an elevator which just had its cables cut. Speaking of the devil... Haruhi was laying on the bench I had just vacated a moment ago, her face peaceful in rest. It was always strange to see Haruhi with a gentle expression, since it was almost enough to make one forget how crazy she was. But now was not the time to be considering her beauty. If I wasn't mistaken, then Haruhi herself had just been tossed back in time with me.

Nagato, Mikuru and Koizumi all came from schools of thought from within their respective organization that believed that Haruhi should never find out about her powers. I had come to agree with them, not out of any true understanding of the situation, but mostly because the opposing schools did stuff like trying to assassinate me and kidnap Mikuru for some vile purpose. I didn't want to even think about how much of a disaster it would be if Haruhi came to understand what was going on, and believed that time travel was real. Was it up to me alone to prevent this?

I looked around in a panic, hoping that Nagato or Mikuru (big) would phase into existence and instruct me what to do. It didn't really occur to me until just then how hopelessly lost I was without at least one of them to lean on. Not that I'm terribly ashamed of it... most high schoolers don't have to prevent their tyrannical brigade chiefs from unmaking the world out of boredom every few weeks, so they don't really prepare us for that in middle school. My inadequacy was only natural, right? But since no one appeared to help me, I accepted that I was on my own, and struggled to think of a way to prevent Haruhi from learning the truth.

She wrinkled her brow, reaching a hand up to her eye and rubbing with an irritated expression. "Wh..." she mumbled sleepily, then blinked her eyes open. She looked around with confusion, then back to me. "Kyon? What's going on?"

I held my breath, my heart hammering my chest, but forced a calm expression to my face. I had no idea how I was going to survive this. This is Haruhi we're talking about... she's suspicious about everything by default. I could barely convince her of anything even when I'm being truthful... the fact that I was _actually _lying now didn't bode well for me. But perhaps, like a mother who's child is trapped under a car, I can find unknown reserves of latent acting talent hidden away inside me? "What's that supposed to mean. You don't remember? Anyway, if you're done resting, we can get going."

She eyed me with a cocked eyebrow, her eyes penetrating. I felt a single rivulet of sweat make its way down the contours of my cheek, but I stood under her withering gaze with an exasperated expression. I was an honest person by nature, so it was tough, but luckily this was an expression I was extremely practiced at using around Haruhi.

"To be honest..." she said, hesitating, rubbing her chin. "The last thing I remember is going to bed." She looked down to her clothes, which was a casual outfit as well. "How did I get here?"

I forced a scoff of disbelief. "You don't remember?"

She looked away, scowling in embarrassment. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Well..." Here it goes, now or never. "You've been seeming down lately, and didn't even plan anything for the three day break, so... I decided to organize an all night board game party for the SOS Dan members. It seemed like a good way to enjoy ourselves over the break."

She tapped a finger against her chin. "Oh? That sounds like a fun, actually."

I sighed at her. "I called you an hour ago and explained all this to you over the phone, and we agreed to meet here in the park. You seriously don't remember?"

She frowned. "I..."

"Wait." I preempted. "Don't tell me you're one of those girls that has low blood pressure and wanders around without really knowing what's going on for a half an hour after waking up?"

She spun to look at me. "Of course not, dummy Kyon! That sort of moé trait would be much better suited for someone like Yuki, not a healthy energetic girl like myself."

"Again with the moé..." I sighed. "You realize that the world we live in isn't dictated by whatever rules you've conceived up, right? Not everyone fits into your predetermined stereotypes." As sensible of a statement as I might think that to be, I had to wonder how true it really was. If Koizumi was to be believed, then Haruhi had assembled all of the members of the SOS Dan in a very precise fashion, perhaps even bringing us into existence for that very purpose. Wouldn't she have created people who fit these stereotypes of hers? It was hard to deny, seeing the klutzy Mikuru stumble around the clubroom with a tray of tea each day while Nagato read silently. Still, I don't need to fill her head with such rubbish... that would make us nothing more than characters in some crummy novel.

Haruhi stood and dusted off her skirt. "You just don't have a sense of how to create an environment suited for unusual occurrences, Kyon. That kind of boring reasoning will get you no where in life." She smiled with assurance, looking around. "Your call must have woken me, which would explain why I wasn't fully awake when dressing and getting here. Then I must have decided to take a quick power nap here on the bench to get rested before the games. I suppose it worked, since I don't feel tired now." She stretched her arms exaggeratedly, letting out a sigh of contentment.

Wow. I can't believe she's actually falling for this. I just pulled that all out of my ass, but yet somehow she's actually believing me. Maybe the sun actually _will_ rise tomorrow.

Wait. I think I see a busty girl in a white shirt making her way down the path towards us in the distance. It's far too dim to make out for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that's Mikuru(big), which means we have precious few minutes to high tail it out of here before we have a fateful encounter with my future... (past?) self. "Come on." I said without explanation, grabbing Haruhi by the arm and dragging her into motion.

We headed off the path, with Haruhi giving surprising little complaint to my rough handling. Usually she is the one dragging me places, so maybe she thinks she deserves it? No... Haruhi doesn't believe that karma applies to her in such ways.

"Still, I'm impressed." she noted, pulling her arm out of my grasp but matched my fast pace. "It's unlike you, Kyon, to take some initiative and plan something interesting. Usually you just grumble all the time."

Maybe if you didn't ask for such unreasonable things all the time... but now wasn't the time to argue. "I have to go to the mens room." Luckily, there was a public restroom nearby, and I headed us towards it. "Just give me a bit."

Haruhi folded her arms, her eyes turning into upside down triangles. "Kyon... didn't your parents ever teach you to use the bathroom before you go on a journey?" She sighed. "Fine... but be quick. It's getting late, and I want to get this 'All Night Board Game Party' started." She pointed with authority. "If you take too long, I'm coming in after you, you understand?."

I'd like to think there's no way she would barge into a mens room to drag me out if she got bored waiting, but past history indicated otherwise. "Yeah yeah..." I muttered, pushing through the swing door.

As soon as it was shut, I hurried over to the pay phone by the stalls. I knew just who I needed to call. I jammed a few hundred yen coins into the slot, and dialed a number I knew by heart. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for her to pick up.

"..."

You know, most people say _something _at least when they pick up the phone. "Nagato?"

"... hello."

I felt strangely calm, knowing what had to be done. Had I been through so many situations like this that saving the universe from destruction had become commonplace? "Nagato, you don't know me yet, but..."

"..."

"I need you to synchronize with your future self, three years and nine months from now."

"..."

"..." I waited with her.

"... Synchronization complete."

"Good. Nagato, this is serious. I think I've been thrown back in time, and Haruhi is here with me."

"Confirmed. You and Suzumiya Haruhi have been removed from the time stream from which you originate."

"I don't suppose you know how that's possible?" I had a feeling I wasn't going to like the answer.

"The Macrospatial Quantum Cosmic Existence."

"The who now?" I was getting confused at all these long terms.

"They are a group within the Data Thought Integration Entity with an opposed viewpoint. They are attempting to awaken further powers within Suzumiya Haruhi by exposing her to the reality of her abilities. There is an extremely high probability that the Macrospatial Quantum Cosmic Existence has created an Interface capable of the manipulation of the time planes."

"Well... okay then." Even Nagato wasn't capable of time travel, which meant this was some sort of more advanced version of an Interface. I sure hope we didn't come in contact with it. My fighting skills hadn't leveled up any since the day when Asakura Ryouko attacked me, and if this new model could alter time itself... well, lets just say that my odds of victory didn't look any higher. "Anyway, the reason I called you was because I was hoping that we could use your apartment to host an all night board game marathon, to distract Haruhi while we figure out a way to get home."

Her response was curt. "Inadvisable."

"Why not?" I asked in surprise.

"Two separate sets of time divergent copies of yourself and Asahina Mikuru will be arriving at my residence over the course of the night."

I almost smacked my forehead. Good thing Nagato was on the ball, otherwise I would have created some sort of temporal paradox. "Right right. Well... even though Haruhi is due to be out vandalizing her school for most of the night, her house is out of the question, since her parents would be quite confused. Koizumi hasn't moved here yet, and Mikuru..." I hesitated. "What's up with her?" I held my breath, hoping to hear that she lived by herself.

"..."

"Nagato?"

"Asahina Mikuru does not exist within this time plane yet."

Great. She must have been sent back by her older self some time later. God, why can I think about absurd things like this so calmly?

"However, your place of residence is not occupied currently."

"What?"

"Your family won a free vacation to Okinawa, and is using the Tanabata break to take it."

I won't ask how she knew that. I had actually forgotten myself, but thinking back, I could recall the time during middle school when we had gone to Okinawa because of an unexpected windfall. "Perfect. We'll just use my house then."

"I will inform the others from your time plane of origin that you require their presence here. It is highly likely a time travel trip will be approved for those two, to help continue the pretense."

"You don't want to come along too?" I stopped, trying to struggle out a wording that wasn't confusing. "The you from the future, that is... do you want to travel back?"

"My forward temporal copy will remain in your time plane of origin to monitor the situation. I will attend in her stead. However, I will be unable to arrive until having assisted your time divergent copies. Please extend my apologies to Suzumiya-san."

"Okay, that works. And Nagato?"

"..."

"Thank you. You're a life saver."

"..."

"..."

"... You're welcome."

The phone line went dead.

I was amazed the door hadn't come crashing down yet. I quickly triggered the motion sensor on the back of one of the toilets, making it flush, and then ran to wash my hands quickly before leaving.

Haruhi was leaning against the stone wall, looking up into the stars. I had been prepared to face her wrath for taking so long, but she barely even noticed me returning. Her eyes were sparkling up at the sky. "Kyon... look up. Did you notice how bright the sky is tonight?"

I calmly moved next to her, craning my neck upwards as well as I rested against the brick. She was right... the sky was dazzling. I had been too busy during my previous visits to notice, I suppose. "It does look brighter than usual tonight."

"It's like they're calling out to me... waiting for me to find them." Her voice was almost reverent.

"... who?" I asked.

She didn't answer for a moment. "I don't know. But they're out there." She turned and flashed me a brilliant smile. "Don't you agree?"

I couldn't turn down her honest enthusiasm. "Yeah. I suppose you're right."

She could only beam at my reluctant acceptance.

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A/N: To be continued, obviously. People who have me on author alert might notice that I've now started three stories, one for each of the three pairings that works for me (Kyon/Yuki, Kyon/Haruhi, Yuki/Haruhi). I'll be continuing all of them as my muse deems fit, so don't worry. The speed of updates should increase now that I'm not working 13 hours a day 6 days a week.


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